Jar or Tin Lid

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a lid for jars or tins having a screw-lock or twist-lock mechanism for sealing the content of the jar or tin in an air-tight manner. The lid is made up of a rubber or plastic seal between the inside of the lid and the upper peripheral edge of the jar or tin. The lid has a discoid plate having a continuous opening or alternatively-no opening is inserted between the lid and the upper edge of the jar or tin. The peripheral edge representing the upper edge of the jar or tin is configured to form a tight seal with the discoid plate when the jar or tin is closed. The opening of the plate is associated with a seal facing the inside of the lid and blocking air from penetrating the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to a lid for a jar or a tin with a screw-lock or twist-lock mechanism for sealing the content of the glass jar or tin in an air-tight manner. The lid comprises an annular sealing ring of rubber or plastics material between the inner side of the lid and the upper peripheral edge of the jar or tin, whereby a disk-like plate with a continuous opening is provided between the lid and the upper edge of the jar or the tin. This opening is provided with a seal, which closes the opening at the inner side of the lid.

Jars with a screw-lock or a twist-lock mechanism, especially with a relatively large diameter of the lid, such as for jars including fruit, vegetables or the like, which are to be kept shut in an airtight manner, in view of quality and safety reasons in general are stored under high vacuum, and therefore require high power force if they are to be opened for the first time. In overcoming this high vacuum pressure auxiliary means are used for opening the jar or tin, for example hot water is spilled over the lid, or a hole is punched into the lid, or special tools are used. The proposals for solutions available in order to open such screw-lock mechanisms of containers with tight lids altogether are not satisfactory, especially there are many users, who are not able to apply the required forces for opening the lid and for overcoming the vacuum forces.

Known auxiliary means for opening such lids when stuck do not operate to satisfaction because many users are not in a position to apply sufficient force for opening the lid in order to overcome the high vacuum forces acting upon the lid, the invention has the object to provide the lid of jars or tins in a more simple manner at reduced costs and in a more effective way so that the lid can be opened at reduced force by everybody, which means also by elder people as well children without any difficulties, and also without any tools.

According to the invention this problem is solved by the features of the characterising part of claim 1. Further embodiments of this invention are the subject of subclaims.

From WO 00/56622 A A lid for keeping a container shut is known, which comprises an outer lid having an interior thread, and an inner lid in form of a disk-like plate with a pressure balance opening between the volume of the container and a volume between the outer and the inner lid. The concentric opening has a radius of about half the radius of the periphery of the lid. A sealing ring is associated to this opening the inner radius of which is larger than the radius of the opening so that the underpressure within the container is effective across the full surface of the opening. Furthermore, the lid lock is provided with a pin-like individual projection or alternatively additional projections distributed over the peripheral edge, which projections extend in a radial direction inwardly from the inner side of the lid neck, and which projections when removing the lid at one point exert an upwardly directed pressure against the edge of the inner lid so that the inner lid when being activated in a point-focal manner is lifted out of contact with the upper edge of the container neck.

Furthermore, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,163 a screw cap is known, which comprises an inner cap and an outer cap. If the outer cap is threaded onto a container neck a sealing ring is pressed against the upper edge of the container neck. The outer cap is provided with thread sections, which are in engagement with the screwing thread of the container neck, and the outer cap is facing projections on the container neck. A bead extending in the peripheral direction is provided at the container neck, which bead engages a peripherally extending bead at the lower end of the outer cap and is to be released for opening the screw cap closure. This type of closure is a two-stage closure, however, does not give any hint to a sealed central opening within the inner plate of the closure according to the subject invention.

The screw-lock mechanism according to DE 548 697 refers to a vacuum-closed container having a sealing insert seated against the lid and is formed in such a manner that the lid flange has at least one inwardly extending projection in a higher position than a locking projection, which when returning the lid is stopped by screw ribs so that the lid is lifted. This type of lid-lock does not require a second lid nor an additional closure plate, nor is a closed intermediate space formed between the vacuum within the container and the lid, which space would be connected with the interior of the container by an aperture.

The container lid according to FR 2 431 432 is provided with a thread at the container neck, upon which a further identical container can be arranged. A central detention of the lid allows to receive a label or a similar marker, however, there is no relation to means, which would allow the user of a container to open the lid with reduced force.

Contrary thereto, the invention is based on the problem to form the lid of jars or tins in a more simple manner at reduced costs and in a more effective way so that the lid can be opened at reduced force by everybody, also by elderly people as well children without any difficulties and also without any tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention this problem is solved by a jar or tin lid in such a manner that the diameter of the opening within the disk-type plate is very small compared with the diameter of the closure lid by multiple, and that the sealing associated to this opening is a sealing ring, which closes the opening completely and overlappingly.

With the proposal of the subject invention the seal at the outer peripheral ring of the interior side of the lid is dispensed with. According to one aspect of the invention the inner surface of the lid or alternatively the surface of the jar or tin is provided with a plate or disk having a central opening, which has about the same area as the inner surface of the lid, and which is loosely in contact with the lid, whereby the inner side of the lid is sealingly in contact with the plate through a sealing, which is connected with the inner side of the sealing, preferably is centrically arranged when in the closed position, which covers and closes the aperture of the plate, and in this manner prevents the vacuum within the jar or the tin from being effective through the opening within the space between the opening of the plate and the inner side of the lid. In this manner a pressure balance between the interior of the jar and the exterior of the jar is prevented.

The plate or disk between the top edge of the jar and the inner side of the lid consists of metal, plastics, rubber or the like material, and will be applied to the top edge of the jar when being closed, whereby a sealing ring is arranged on the edge of the plate, which is in sealing engagement with the peripheral edge of the jar. The opening in the plate is closed by means of the seal fastened on the inner side of the lid as soon as the vacuum in the jar has been generated so that the vacuum in the jar is maintained, when the lid is applied to the jar. Sealing means between the lid and the plate, which are used for closing the opening in the plate, for example is a seal in disk or ring form, which prevents that vacuum in the jar above the aperture is removed and air from the surroundings is able to flow through the gap between the jar and the lid into the jar. For this purpose the plate is also sealed against the peripheral edge of the jar, whereby the sealing effect is generated at the outer restriction of the plate, which is in engagement with the peripheral edge of the jar if the plate does not operate itself as the seal.

This allows that the sealing surface which is required for closing the opening in the plate, is under relatively small pressure in view of the vacuum existing within the jar, compared with the large peripheral area of known comparable closures so that besides of the screw closure between the lid and the jar only that limited atmospheric pressure, which acts upon the sealing is to be overcome when opening the glass, and in this manner with the existing low pressure within the jar can be easily opened.

According to a second aspect of the invention the disk-like plate is formed as an uninterrupted surface, which means is without any aperture, whereby the peripheral rim together with the disk-like plate is in tight contact across the entire periphery with the plate if the jar or the tin is closed so that the vacuum within the jar or the tin is maintained. The effect of an opening in the plate, which is obtained by sealing means between the lid and the plate, is obtained with this type of structure in a corresponding manner by the fact that when rotating the lid relative to the jar or to the tin the lid in view of the thread pitch undergoes a movement in height relative to the jar or the tin, and with this type of rotation of the lid the sealing between the plate and the peripheral edge of the jar will be compensated or interrupted so that in this manner air can flow from the outside inwardly, and in this way opening the jar will be possible without any considerable effort.

In order to make sure that the plate when rotating the lid according to the movement in height of the lid is lifted in line with the thread, the plate for example is in engagement with the inner side of the vertical wall of the lid cap in an upright position at least on one point of the periphery, for example so that the diameter of the plate is adapted to the inner diameter of the lid or so that the top side of the plate is connected with the underside of the lid facing the plate so that the plate is automatically lifted when the lid is rotated. This connection can be a central fastening, a resilient or rigid spacer arranged by gluing it between the lid and the plate, or the like.

According to a further embodiment of this invention the lid and/or the plate or alternatively the disk are provided with a downwardly or upwardly extending deformation formed as a depression, which is arranged concentrically around the opening within the plate. Between the lid and the plate a rubber seal formed as a sealing disk or a sealing ring is provided. This arrangement allows that by means of a trough a centring effect is obtained when the lid is seated, that the trough within the lid can be used as a recess for inserting labels or the like, that the seal between the lid and the plate undergoes a slight pretension when both are closed, and that by means of the deformation lid and plate obtain an increased stability. Alternately, the trough within the lid can be formed when the plate is provided without any trough so that the seal arranged between both and the lid in it's closed condition has a firm seat based on it's compression.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following this invention is described in connection with the drawings by embodiments, which show:

FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a jar lid of conventional type,

FIG. 2 jar lid according to the invention with an plane seal,

FIG. 3 jar lid with a sealing ring according to the invention,

FIG. 4 an embodiment of the invention in which the disk-type plate is arranged without an opening,

FIG. 5 further embodiment of the invention with which the peripheral edge of the disk-type plate partly is in engagement with the inner surface of the lateral wall of the lid, and

FIG. 6 an alternative embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2 or 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With a conventional embodiment of a jar 1 closed by a lid, in which food products are conserved by vacuum, a lid 2 is attached to the top side of the jar. The lid is screwed onto the top of the jar 1 at 3 and is locked by means of a screwing or twisting-off-closure. On the inner side of the lid a seal 4 is arranged at the peripheral edge of the bottom of the lid, which seal is in engagement with the top edge of the jar so that within the jar underpressure will be maintained for conserving the content. The seal 4 is a sealing ring firmly connected with the inner side of the lid. The diameter of the sealing ring corresponds with the inner diameter of the lid.

The arrangement according to FIG. 2, which is an embodiment of the lid system according to the invention, shows a plate 6 resting upon the top peripheral edge 5 of jar 1, which plate has a central opening 7 in engagement with a seal 8 firmly connected to the inner side of the lid, and shuts the opening 7 so that the low pressure or vacuum within the jar 1 will be maintained as long as the lid is kept closed. Furthermore, the outer edge of the plate 6 is provided with an annular seal 9, which is engaged with the peripheral edge 4 of the jar 1 and prevents outside air from flowing into the interior of the jar, as long as the lid is closed.

Seals 8 and/or 9 are made from flexible plastics, rubber or rubber-type material so that the seal 8 is urged against the top side of the plate 6 around the opening 7 when the lid is closed. If the closure 3 of the lid at the jar is released the seal 7 is lifted off from the top side of plate 6 subsequent to the screwing movement so that the existing underpressure is balanced. Because the area of the seal 8 in view of the small opening exerts a substantially smaller atmospheric pressure onto the closure of the seal compared with a conventional lid, the force required for loosening the lid if the lid is under vacuum, is considerably smaller than for conventional systems so that the opening for example of a cucumber jar also will be possible for a weak person without any difficulties.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 3 the seal 8 is formed as a sealing ring 10, which has the same effect as the sealing 8 according to FIG. 2, namely a smaller pressure per area unit of the vacuum or the underpressure onto the closure.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the plate has a closed surface, which means without any opening. In FIG. 4, this plate is marked by 6′. The plate is connected with the lid 2 by means of a washer 8′, which also can be a rigid connection. Plate 6′ rests upon the peripheral surface of jar 1 by inserting a sealing ring 14, which is positioned either on surface 5 or at the opposite side of plate 6′. If the lid 2, which is engaged with the counterthread of the jar or the tin 1, is rotated in an opening sense, plate 6′ together with the lid according to the movement determined by the thread is lifted, and the sealing effect at position 14 is released so that air can flow into the jar and can fill-up the vacuum.

Within the embodiment of FIG. 5 plate 6″ is adapted in diameter to the internal diameter of the lid and, as shown at 15 is in engagement with a position of the inner wall of the lid cap so that under rotation plate 6″ also is lifted from the facing wall of jar 1, and the vacuum within jar 1 will be filled. According to the embodiment of FIG. 6 lid 2 has a shallow depression 11 and plate 6 has a shallow depression 12 substantially concentric to opening 7. Between the two substantially congruent shallow depressions 11 and 12 a seal 13 is arranged, which can be connected with lid 2, for example by vulcanizing, or can be in contact with lid 2 as a rubber disk or rubber ring. Alternatively, shallow depressions 11 and 12 also can be shallow elevations, or alternatively shallow depression 11 can be formed on lid 2, whereas plate 6 is formed as a plane disk. Depressions 11 for example can be used for receiving a label or the like, or can be used in another manner for commercial purposes. 

1. A glass jar or tin seal with a screw-lock or twist-lock mechanism for sealing the content of the jar or tin in an airtight manner, comprising a sealing ring made from rubber or plastics, the sealing ring being arranged between the inner side of the lid and the upper peripheral edge of the jar or the tin, whereby between the lid and the upper edge of the jar or the tin a disk-like plate with a through-going opening is arranged, which is associated to a seal closing the opening and being in contact with the inner side of the lid, wherein the diameter of the aperture is smaller than the diameter of the lid, and that the seal is a disk-type seal, which closes the aperture in an entirely overlapping manner.
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 15. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein the disk-like plate is made of metal, plastic or rubber.
 16. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein the plate is a foil with a seal.
 17. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein the plate at least at a sealingly arranged peripheral edge there is attached a material which results in an airtight seal.
 18. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein the disk-like plate has a lateral edge extending beyond a peripheral edge of the jar or the tin.
 19. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the plate and an inner diameter of the lid around a screwing area are arranged in such a manner that the lateral edge of the plate is in contact with a cap-like lid at least at one position.
 20. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein the lid and the plate are coupled or fastened with each other.
 21. The jar or tin seal according to claim 1, wherein the lid and/or the plate have a central, shallow depression or elevation around the opening.
 22. The jar or tin seal according to claim 21, wherein the depression within the lid and/or the plate are substantially congruent in their shape, and that a seal in the shape of a disk, is arranged between both of them. 